Frugal Gardening Tips

If you have been reading here for any length of time you know I love flowers, the more the better. Like anything, gardening can be very expensive, but the cost need not be prohibitive. I've compiled a list of frugal gardening tips that have made it possible for me to continuously expand my gardening of both flowers and edibles while minimizing the monetary output.

My number one tip would be to start your plants from seed. I remember fondly a lovely older couple who lived in our old neighborhood, and as we lived right across the street from them I benefited from the delectable feast of floral eye candy that was their front yard. I always enjoyed watching them every spring as day after day they would come home with a trunk full of annual flats with an occasional ornamental tree or two, and I loved to see the two of them potter about filling up the beds together. But this is not my way. Long ago I learned to start my plants from seeds, and this saves a vast amount of money compared to what it would cost to buy all these plants. More on how I start my seeds here: Inch by Inch, Row by Row.

Edited to add: Barbara mentioned in the comments the issue of having a place to put all of the seedlings. This reminded me that in our old house we didn't have a lot of room so I had a shelf to hold all of the seedlings. It was a black plastic shelving unit about five feet tall, and we kept it in front of our southern exposure glass door. We wrapped clear vinyl around three sides of the shelf and secured it with packing tape. The plastic along with the shelf being black helped to keep it warm and humid inside, and my several hundred seedlings always thrived. It's the same principle as the fancy mini greenhouses they sell in the catalogs, but for a whole lot less money. Here is a dreadful ancient-before-digital-cameras picture, but it's all I could find and you might be able to get the idea:

 
Even buying seeds can seem expensive, but it helps to remember that seeds can be saved for several years. For example, a packet of 25 squash seeds will last me for about three years. If you are perusing seed catalogs you'll notice a wide variance in prices as well, with all of the latest and greatest costing the most. I keep a garden notebook and write down what I plant from year to year, and these notes help me to remember what varieties I like and what does well where. I try to follow a middle ground here, choosing some pricier varieties like wave petunias and my favorite big red zinnias,

but also picking some less expensive items like plain marigolds and sunflowers as well. But again, even the cost of wave petunia seeds is much less than it would cost to buy plants.

Heirloom varieties are a usually a great value and cost a lot less than trendy hybrids. You can also save the seeds from open pollinated heirloom varieties to use in subsequent years and save money. Again I like a combination of some new hybrids and old timey favorites like lemon cucumbers.

And the taste of heirloom tomatoes are truly something special; Aunt Ruby's German green, Brandywine, and yellow pears are some favorites that are inexpensive to boot.

Back to flowers, another tip is to plant varieties that reseed freely such as alyssum, violas, marigolds, and many groundcovers. For the cost of one seed packet I have had a border of alyssum along my front walkway for years.

Many perennials can be grown easily from seed, and they will reseed and multiply over time to give you more plants which you can transplant to increase your blooms. I brought these blanket flowers over when we moved, and I keep replanting little divisions here and there to further increase my plants.

These coneflowers I started from seed are another good example, and I now have them tucked into many beds for a fraction of what the cost would be for one plant.

Just a few words about potted flowers: overwinter, overwinter, overwinter! I have had this pot of begonias for years - I just cut it back and bring it inside for the winter and in the spring it gets a trim and goes back out again. I like to have lots of pots on my porch and deck and so forth, and it would cost a fortune to have to get new ones every year. I've enjoyed these geraniums for years as well - they grace my kitchen in the winter and return to the deck every summer.

Let your gardening friends and neighbors know that you are interested in expanding your beds and you will likely find they are happy to share perennial divisions, extra seedlings or plant thinnings. Also, check on craigslist and freecycle for free plants, particularly in spring when people are cleaning up beds and planning new plantings. You can also place 'wanted' listings on these sites, and offering to come and dig for yourself is always a help. We added some lovely irises, roses and several other plants to our landscape in this way.

Another possible source is leftovers and extras from church decorations. A friend gave us many pots of old, spent chrysanthemums leftover from Easter, and they have done very well planted in my beds. Knowing we had lots of new beds to fill, this friend also brought lots of extra slips and divisions from the church grounds as well. You can always try asking landscapers for any extras they might be discarding, as it's their job to keep things from getting overcrowded and you might benefit from their pruning and thinning.

You can also get a good deal on things if you know when and where to look. Warehouse clubs typically sell bulbs in bulk packages at good prices, not necessarily super fancy varieties but you can get lots of lovelies for your money. It's tempting to want to buy everything you want in spring, but remember prices will drop as the season goes on. We got some butterfly bushes at a local store last fall on deep discount clearance prices - 97 cents a bush for plants that were originally $12 each - they are just starting to wake up and leaf out nicely!

 

Another tip in the patience department is to buy smaller trees and shrubs rather than larger. Buying bareroot shrubs and trees via a reputable mail order catalog is less costly than buying large potted items from the local garden center. You just have to wait longer for your blooms or fruits.

Just remember you can spend as much or as little as you like in this gardening venture. You can buy fancy seed trays with special soil inserts and self watering systems with special heat and lights, or you can plant in paper cups on the kitchen floor. You can tie your plants up with special green flexible garden ties or you can cut up loops of old socks. You can buy expensive fertilizers, with special chemical ratios for each plant family, or you can make compost.

Have fun in all of your gardening adventures, and if you have any favorite frugal gardening tips I'd love to hear them!

Comments

[AnneMarie]

Kimberlee,
I love the new header for your blog!
Happy Easter to you and your lovely family!
AnneMarie

[Barbara]

You have a lovely spot for your seed growing. Because our home has a southern exposure, the only sunny spots I have are living room and bedrooms -- I think my husband might object if I fill all the room fronts with seed starters! I'm sure you have the most beautiful garden!

[Kristyn]

Before I comment on the post... your new header is very charming and meaningful. I loved going around the perimeter and seeing a bit of Narnia, a bit of crafting, a bit of art, the rosary, the camera, the "elevensies"...it just turned out so personal. I love it!
The flowers are beautiful. I appreciate the frugal tips. We have such poor soil here that I can hardly get anything to grow that isn't in a pot. :( When we lived in the city I had a tiny lot and grew flowers and veggies, and even a few perennials like rhubarb and asparagus. Now we have 1 1/3 acres of clay. We have "amended" the soil and somehow all of our "amendings" (as one of the boys called it) sink into the recesses of the earth and we are left with clay. If you have any advice for poor soil please let me know. Everyone says "raised beds" but I don't think I can pull that off alone, with Tim away most of the time.

[Kate]

Our grocery store often has a discount rack of potted plants. I've bought many minature roses for .99 - $1.99, as well as chrysanthemums and herbs. They look stressed and bedraggled at first (that's why they're on discount), but with a little TLC they perk up wonderfully. Outside the minature roses get quite bushy and their flowers make lovely crowns.

I've had trouble growing plants from seed, mostly because in our old house we don't have any place with adequate sunshine and room. I'm babying along some basil, burnett and bunny tails (must be "B" month) right now on a little bit of sunny sill.

Have you tried growing flax? The small flowers create a beautiful sea of blue (I planted ours behind our BVM statue) and the feathery foliage is nice too. It reseeds like crazy.

[regan]

i really enjoyed this post kimberlee.
especially since i am patiently awaiting tons of planted seeds to bloom in my garden.
some years have been better than others with regards to planting seeds. soil. weather and seeds are all differnet factors i take into consideration as i ponder the things i could do better. but i must say that i enjoy waiting for seeds because it is a good experience. it is so "easy" to look at gardening books and want a beautiful garden NOW. but when one doesn't have endless funds...and i do hate it when you spend a lot of money and things die...this is a really wonderful way to appreciate your garden as a labor of love!

i have recently been reading up on propogating cuttings. it interests me immensely and i wish i had more time to work on this hobby. i might just make it more a part of school. i have a rosemary plant and some pansies that i am experimenting with. no root stimulating hormones. just the good old-fashioned way. i can't wait to see what happens!

i planted some flax too because it reminded me of Our Lady!

sorry for being so long-winded.
wishing you a blessed easter!

ps. that header is LOVELY!

[kimberlee]

Barbara, I edited the post to include a plant shelf we used to have in our old house. It's true that I'm fortunate that my family doesn't mind me taking over the kitchen with plants - but I think the hope of all the fresh picked treats make them very tolerant! Kristyn, for our vegetable garden we bought a truckload of soil and just had it dumped where we wanted the plot. We have very rocky ground, so we didn't try to mix in the good soil but just left it on top. We have the rows mounded up so it is a form of 'raised beds', but without any fancy wood boxes or anything around the edges. Kate, I always scope out the discount plants. :-) And yes, Regan, I love the process of growing things from seed. Nothing beats the February doldrums like watching tiny seeds sprout and dreaming of the beauty and delicious treats to come. And thanks for the header compliments, folks!

[theresa In Alberta]

I love your new header!!! I like you try to be a thrifty gardener. I start my corn and squash inside. This year I am starting my dalias inside and will plant them in barrels next to the house. Here in Alberta the dalias just get going then we get a frost :-( I buy only 2 or 3 tomatoe plants, but this year I am going to try growing them upside down in a bucket!! Yup, I have all of this lovely southern expousure being wasted, so I am going to use 5 gallon pails with good handles and hang them on my chain link fence. therefore they are hanging down well off of the ground so they do get rotted or climbed upon by slugs (ick. I will put potting soil, compost in the buckets and to water them will be so easy and no moisture wasted.,,,

[shelly]

only one question re: the last couple photos...
how do you keep little boys from destroying, dumping, playing in/with, helping out??

love your new header kimberlee - all things new :)

[Christine]

Dear Kimberlee,

I hope that you and your family have a blessed Eastertide, too!

Thank you for sharing all of these great tips. Your zinnias and other flowers look beautiful!

Love in Christ and Our Blessed Mother,
Christine

[Jennifer Mackintosh]

I'm catching up for Easter! What a deliciously lovely and inspiring post, Kimberlee!!! Many great ideas here!

The blog design is just beautiful!!!

A Blessed Easter to you and your family from down south!

[Brenda@Coffeeteabooksandme]

I'm a new reader and I love this post.

I have two peony plants growing this year that were purchased on clearance at Wal Mart a couple years ago. They looked dead when I planted them, really just a stick.

Last year they came up just a little so I knew there was life there. This year they have really taken off. I can't wait to see if they flower this year.

Beauty for literally a few pennies.

Thanks for the great ideas, I will be putting a few to use soon.

[installing irrigation systems]

Tips are excellent, very nice pictures too! I especially loved the picture of tulips - a majestic flower. I saw you took a picture of a pink tulip, I usually see them in bright red

[Hydroponic Gardening]

Very nice blog and worth reading your post.One thing i would like to suggest you that you can use self-naturalizing bulbs to keep growing new flowers year after year without purchasing new bulbs,thus saving the cost.